Sociology of Education – Flashcards

-argues that the failures of NCLD are largely due to the fact that most kids are still stuck in bureaucratic public schools where bad teachers are protected by strong unions -decided that the solution was charter schools -there are 5000 charter schools nationwide

-education is an important pathway for upward mobility -democracy depends on an educated and informed citizenry -21st century technological societies require highly educated work forces in order to compete in global society

-America is falling behind other industrialized countries -US is tied for 17th in reading literacy, 27th in math, and 20th in science among 15 year olds

-public schools are subject to too much government control and bureaucracy -ineffective because they are a monopoly (lack incentives to do better) -bad teachers are protected by powerful unions -US has many failing schools where 1.standards are too low 2.many low income families are locked into failing schools where no one ares about them and where opportunities are limited

-accountability -choice

-rigorous national standards with rigorous testing to make sure we're meeting them and to identify where we're note -merit pay and funding incentives: successful teachers and schools should be rewarded and failing teachers and schools should be held accountable

-students should be able to leave failing schools in favor of better ones -charter school movement: anyone who wants to can manage a school that receives government funds -new kinds of markets in education: schools of all kids should compete for resources and students

-both major political parties -a network of powerful education reform philanthropies -for profit education corporations and entrepreneurs -numerous education experts -AS A RESULT the education landscape is changing rapidly

a roadmap to reform the school system by 2014 on the basis of accountability and choice

-mandatory annual testing of reading and math grades 3 through 8+ -all states were required to ensure that 100% of their students reach "proficiency" by 2013-14 -every schools required to make "adequate yearly progress" (AYP) toward the goal -schools failing to make AYP designated "schools in need of improvement" (SINI) and face escalating penalties

-increasing standards, back to basics (Reading/Writing) always popular reform themes -expertise in education not required of the reformers: the school will improve in response to incentives (rewards/punishments)

-25% of the nations 100,000 schools failed to make AYP -theses school were concentrated in high-poverty districts -school choice <5% of eligible students are transferring to successful schools. -tutoring: 80% of eligible students turned it down -school reconstructing = mediocre results -harsh sanctions for failure to improve led to cheating scandals -goal of 100% proficiency 2013-14 not met -Obama issued waivers to 32 states in 2013 and 42 as of 2015

-17% of charter schools have better test scored than matched traditional public schools -46% of charter schools have academic gains no different from matched traditional public schools -39% of charter schools have worse results than matched traditional public schools

-teacher quality only accounts for 10-15% of variability in student achievement gains -non-school factors account for about 60% of variability in achievement -Student SES - family income - is the single most important factor in school performance -kids who are poor, hungry, homeless, or abused have difficulty learning relative to kids who are not

Among rich countries of the world, the US is unique in its level of concentrated child poverty

-education can get rid of poverty -poverty can prevent people from taking advantage of their education

Within a school students are sorted into different academic tracks Poor and minority students tend to be assigned to vocational tracks, while socioeconomically privileged students tend to be treated as college-bound.

assimilating them fully into society

the nonacademic and less overt forms of socialization (These forms include teaching certain values, such as the value of showing up for appointments on time.)

traditional curriculum -clear expectations -high standards -minimizing lost class time

too early on -Kozol observed students being assigned to vocationally-oriented classes while still in elementary school. perpetuates social division based on race and class -Kozol observed that black students were disproportionately sorted into vocational classes.

Freshman year college GPA

-smaller classes performed better academically (particularly strong for minority students) -fewer disciplinary problems

-parents care more about education Most of the difference, Morgan thinks, comes down to self-selection. After income, ethnicity, and other such factors are adjusted for, it still remains the case that parents who sent their children to Catholic school have different attitudes about education than parents who don't.

-an ability to navigate certain schools and professional environments -social connections that help them after college -A wealthy young person who didn't attend an elite institution, like St. Paul's or Harvard, has no ready explanation for his or her professional success other than having been born privileged.

-used to irradiate native culture -used to instill acceptance of capitalists values

tracking

-family wealth -family income -parents' educational attainment -parents' occupational status

22%

Catholic, Secular Private, Public

middle child boy

TRUE

credentialism

family background nature of peer group

the symbolic and interactional resources that people use to their advantage

5 cents

The resource dilution model -More children means less time and attention for each child.

-girls have gained ground in both lower and upper class -boys from lower class have lost ground

fear of confirming negative stereotypes about ones own group